The Life of Brigham Young on Wednesday's Access Utah

Brigham Young was a rough-hewn craftsman from New York whose impoverished and obscure life was electrified by the Mormon faith. He trudged around the U.S. and England to gain converts for Mormonism, spoke in spiritual tongues, married more than 50 women, and eventually transformed a barren desert into his vision of the Kingdom of God.

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John Turner, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at George Mason University, is author of “Brigham Young – Pioneer Prophet” (published last year by Harvard University Press.) Turner is interested in American culture and politics, and fascinated by the connections between religion and national identity, religious freedom and religious establishment. All of these themes play out in Brigham Young's life. We'll talk about Brigham Young's legacy for the west and religion in America as we revisit a conversation from December 2012.